Cpt Clarke, WO Faulkner and Cpl Walters were all of the Army Air Corps - with whom Prince Harry served last year.- based at RAF Odiham, Hants.

Flt Lt Chuahan belonged to the RAF and was also based at Odiham and L Cpl Thomas to 4 Military Intelligence Battalion, Intelligence Corps.

Father-of-two WO Faulkner , 38, joined the Army in 1992 and had been serving as a pilot.

His family said: “Spen was a loving husband to Cally and devoted father to Natasha and Jack, and will be greatly missed. A huge gap has been left in our hearts forever. He has been tragically taken away whilst serving his Country, a job he loved. God rest his soul”.

Cpl Walters, 36, who was nicknamed ‘Bungle’, was described by his commanding officer as a “hugely committed soldier who had served with distinction” by his commanding officer.

The highly respected aviator, who had previously served in Northern Ireland and Kuwait during the 2003 conflict, leaves behind wife Tracey and daughter Lainey.

Married Cpt Clarke, 30, from Cowbridge, Glamorgan, was hailed as a “rising star” or the Air Corps by the Commander for the deployed Lynx Detachment.

His wife Angie and his family said in a tribute: “We cannot express enough our devastation at the loss of a truly wonderful husband, son, brother and friend.

“Tom brought so much happiness and love to everyone he knew with his sparkling blue eyes and cheeky smile.

“He had an absolute passion for life and was the best part of us; we are all poorer today without him. ‘We carry your heart, we carry it in our heart’”.

Flt Lt Chauhan, 29, from Birmingham, had a background in military intelligence and commanded a small team of intelligence personnel.

The team player, nicknamed ‘Rak’, was described as “charming, funny and sharp as a tack” by his Commanding Officer.

He had been on his third tour as an intelligence officer in Aghanistan.

L Cpl Thomas, 26, who was born in Brecon, Powys, but moved to London, had volunteered to be mobilised from the Army Reserves to serve in Afghanistan.

His family said: “Oliver was a truly amazing person, living his life to the full, while fulfilling some of his many dreams and adventures. He was very much loved and will be greatly missed by his grieving family and friends.”

L Cpl Thomas, known as Oli, was described as “bright, gifted with an enquiring mind and laser focussed on the task in-hand” by his Officer Commanding.

Group Captain Richard Maddison, Station Commander RAF Odiham said he was “extremely saddened” at the loss of the men. He said: “It was only a week before the accident that I visited their unit in Afghanistan, and flew in a Lynx with Cpt Clarke, WO Faulkner and Cpl Walters.

“It was an absolute pleasure to fly with them and to discuss their work; it was also incredibly reassuring to meet such professional and enthusiastic members of their Unit.

“While on the ground at their base I also spent time with Flt Lt Chauhan, who was the same consummate professional that so many of us at RAF Odiham had come to know. As with all losses of personnel in Afghanistan, we mourn the loss of our most capable and dedicated personnel, who served without complaint and in full understanding of the risks associated with their roles. They were fine ambassadors for their Unit and for Defence as a whole, and we shall not forget them.”

The incident was the single biggest loss of life this year for foreign forces in Afghanistan.

Investigators from the Military Aviation Authority cordoned off the crash site to inspect the wreckage of the light utility aircraft.

The Ministry of Defence denied claims by the Taliban that insurgents shot down the helicopter , saying initial investigations indicated a technical problem during the routine flight rather than enemy action.

The inquiry is likely to look at the aircraft’s log books and other documentation, in addition to weather conditions and whether the Lynx was carrying out an authorised job according to its capabilities.

A spokeswoman said: “The investigation is now underway, and the area of the crash has been cordoned off.

“We cannot go into further details. At this stage it is not known how long the investigation might last or when investigators will deliver their report, but it will be a thorough inquiry.”

Prince Harry, who served as an Apache pilot with the Army Air Corps last year, was said to be devastated at the loss of men from a unit he had been deployed with in Afghanistan.